1. Field of the Invention
In general, the present invention relates to devices that are activated and/or controlled by sound energy. More particularly, the present invention relates to devices that are activated and/or controlled by sound energy and are sensitive to the volume of the sound energy detected.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The are many commercial devices in existence that are activated or controlled by sound energy. In the security industry, there are many sensors that detect sound, wherein the detected sound is used to activate alarms. In the field of consumer products, there exist many different sound activated switch controls that can activate or deactivate any electrical device that plugs into a wall receptacle. With such devices, a person can turn on or off a television or light by clapping or making some other loud sound. However, the field in which most consumers would encounter a sound controlled device, is the field of novelty items, such as toys and games.
In the field of toys and games there exist many different novelty items that are activated or controlled by sound energy. Typically, such novelty items contain a microphone that is coupled to a threshold comparator. If a sound is detected that exceeds a predetermined threshold, the device is either activated or deactivated. Such sound controlled devices are exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,424, to Satoh, entitled Movable Decoration; U.S. Pat. No. 5,324,225 to Satoh, entitled Interactive Toy Figure With Sound Activated And Pressure Activated Switches; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,644 to Ku, entitled Voice Activated Spherical Tumbler. In such prior art devices, the devices are activated once the level of detected sound energy surpasses a predetermined threshold. The device stops after a predetermined period of time or when the received sound energy falls back below the predetermined threshold. In these prior art devices, the volume of the sound, once it passes the activation threshold, is irrelevant to the operation of the devices.
Other novelty devices exist that are activated by the content of detected sound rather than by the mere presence of sound. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,647,787 to Raviv, entitled Sound Controlled Toy, detects voice commands and compares those commands to commands stored in a memory. If a received voice command matches that of a command stored in memory, the device performs a function unique to that command. Another example is shown by U.S. Pat. No. 5,402,702 to Hata, entitled Trigger Circuit Unit For Operating Light Emitting Members Such As LEDs Or Motors For Use In Personal Ornament Or Toy In Synchronization With Music. In the Hata patent, sound energy is analyzed to detect the base rhythm of the music or the voice component to the music. Lights or motors are then activated in response to rhythm changes in the detected component of the sound. As such, control is dependent upon the content of the sound energy rather than by the volume of the sound energy.
The present invention is a system that controls current flow to an electrical component, such as a variable speed motor. The selective control of the current flow is made a function of the volume of detected sound energy, not a function of the content of the sound energy. The greater the volume of the sound energy detected, the greater the flow of current and the faster the variable speed motor will run. Conversely, the lower the volume of sound energy detected, the slower the variable speed motor will run. Such a system, when applied to toys and other novelty items, adds greatly to the play value of such toys. This is because a child is encouraged to cheer or make as much noise as possible in order to activate the novelty device to its greatest extent. The novelty and functionality of the present invention system are described and claimed below.
The present invention is a system and method for selectively controlling an electrical component, such as a variable speed motor, in response to the volume of detected sound energy. The system contains an audio detector, such as a microphone, that receives sound energy and converts the sound energy into a corresponding electrical signal. The content of the sound energy is irrelevant. Rather, it is the volume of the sound energy that is to be represented by the electrical signal. To produce an electrical signal that corresponds to noise volume, the amplitude of the electrical signal is amplified. The amplified signal is then rectified and filtered, thereby producing a D/C electrical signal that is representative of the volume of the sound energy detected. The D/C electrical signal is used to selectively regulate a current flow controller. The current flow controller controls the flow of current to the electrical component. As such, the current flow to the electrical component is made to be directly proportional to the volume of detected sound energy.